Mail-receiving mechanism for railway-cars.



No. 895,723. A PATENTED AUG.11, 1908.

A 1". H. BURR. MAIL RECEIVING MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY OARS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 14, 1907.

PM, EW- A,

To all whom it concerm FRANKLIN H. BURR, or ATLANTIC, IOWA.

, MAIL-RECEIVING MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY-CARS 1, application filed September 14, 1907. Serial No. 392,950.

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN H. BURR, a citizen ofthe United States, and a'resident at Atlantic, in thecounty of Cass andState of Iowa, have invented certain new-and useful Improvements Mail-Receiving Mechanism for Railway-Cars; and I do. declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descri tion .of the invention, which will enab e' others skilled in the art to which it apper tains to make and-use-the same, reference being made to the accompanying drawings," 'which'formapart of thisspecification;

This invention relates to a mail receiving mechanism for railway cars, and has for its objects, first, the safety of the mail pouch .to be received on. railway-cars while in motion,

by providing means to automaticallylock the mail pouch in the receiving mechanism;

' second to provide means for a greater clearance of the mail crane arms, holding the pouch to be received on the passing train, by

roviding means to-hold the arms in'an Obiquely upright manner until the cab-of the a passing engine has passedthe crane, and then 0 provide means to automatically lower the arms with mail pouch attached into a position tobe taken on b the passing train.

' It is further inten edto providea simple,

durable and efficient construction and one readily adapted to the mail receiving mechanismnowinuse.

- In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mail-crane, showing the application of the safety mechanism on the crane ready for use and includes a sectional end view of a mail-car showing the front end of; a catcher with the safety locking mechanism attached Fig. 2'is front end view of the catcher showing the locking clamp in locking osition', and

means for holding the clam in ocking position, Flg. 31s a sectional s1 e elevation of the I arm; Fig.9 is a plan view of the hangers that rotary wedge shaped locking disk, and shows;

its application to. a catcher Fig. 4' is an end Viewjof that portion of the catcher that shows the locking c is a perspective view .of the lockin clamp;

amp in looking position; Fig. 5

Fig. 6 is aside elevation of a cafe er with safety clamp applied; Fig.7 is a plan view of the vibratingor swinging platform; Fig.8'is a plan View of the-su porting rod of the upper crane arm and the iook of the lower cranepivotally support the vibrating orswi'nging rod in its operating position Fig. 10 is a plan yiew of the guide that'holds the rod support- I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1 1, 1908.

direction in which the vibrating platform is swlnglng or vibrating when being operated;

Figs. 1, 2, and 6 also show views olthe rotary wedge shaped locking disk. 4 Inthe drawings, reference 1 is the upper 'cranearm, 2 is the lower crane-arm, 3 1s a mail-pouch hung for delivery to the passing train, 4, is a platform that swings or vibrates the crane-arms in their obliquely upright,

andsafety positions, by means of supporting .rod 5, pivotally attached to the upper crane arm. Vibrating, platform 4 is rigidlyattached to the perpendicular rod 7, which is pivotally attached to the mail-crane post 11 the said platform and rod swinging or vibrating simultaneously, 8, is a slotted guide and is rigidly attached to the mail-crane post 11,

V and holds the rod-'5 from swinging or vibrating. in such a mannerthat the platform 4,'will swing out from under the rod 5, and allow the rod 5, and thecrane arms whichis supported in their safety positions, to gravitate into their ing the upper crane-arm, from moving in the horizontally in either direction and supports '7 operating positions as shownby the dotted lines of crane arms with mail pouch attached in an operating position, 9, 1s a spring rigidly attached at one end to the lower crane-arm with the other end left free to intercept the bracket 36when the lower crane arm is being raised IIItO ItS safety position, which causes the setting of the sprlng; this spring is necessary .to accelerate the crane arms in their downward descent into their operating posltion ThlS spring accelerates the 1novements of both of the crane arms. as they are connected together by means of the mailpouch removably attached to each, The rod 5 when deprived of its support swings out from the platform supporting it, this allows the hook 10 to slip off from the end of said rod 5, and allows the crane arms with pouch attached to drop from their safety clearance position into an operating position as shown by the dotted hues of crane arms and mailpouch. V

10, is a hook pivotally attached to the lower crane-arm and hooks around rod- 5, of

the 'upper'crane arm.-. Said hook holds the lower'crane-arm in safety position. 1 I

In the drawings, 12', and 1 3 are the automatic connecting arms which are rigidly at-. tachedto the automatic rods 14, and 7, these arms swing together simultaneously and au-'.

to natically 'in the direction in which the trainis passing, rod '14 is the automatic operating and connecting-rod between the passing train and rod 7 15 is the operating arm of rod 14, this arm-is'interce ted by the clamp 16 which is rigidly attac ed to the lower truck bar of theengine. tender, and turns the arm 15 in the direction in which the train is;

passing, and simultaneously turns its 0011 nections in' the same direction and releases the rod 5, of its support, and'thereby allows the crane-arms to descend into their operat ing osition; 18, and 1Q; a're. theisteps and plattorm used in hangingit-h'e"inail pouch t9 the crane-arms.

To prqvlde means for a greater safety I clearance vof .the mail-crane arms, to which the mail-pouch is 'removably att h d. th crane-arms are supported in an obliquely u .righfi manner; the upper crane-arm if he .d

half way between its horizontal and perpendicular ositions would give the desired safety 0 earance position; the 'lower cranearm mustbe raised-to a more nearly perpendicular osition as shown, to give the desired safety 0 earance, and in this position would not gravitate to an operating position quickly enough when released i'i-om its support for a fast moving train to receive t mail-pouch that has been removably' attached to the said crane-arms, without the accelerating downward movement giyen the said cranearms by means of the spring attached to the lower of said crane-armsiand Set" for the purposes named. {Wheiithe crime-arms are raised into thej posiiion (l scribed, they ard" in a safety clearance'posb tion, and are notreleascd from this posltion until the cabohlthe engine hampassed the crane, as the automatic releasing trip is located on the tender 'asdescribed.

In the drawings 20 is a rotary wedgehaped lockingdisk, 23, being the widest, and

' in the narrowest portions of said disk this disk is rotativcly mounted on the rocking bar of the catcher 25, and rocks automaticali y from an operating to a pouch locking position as shown, this disk is rigidly attached to the catcher handle 21, is slotted to receive the looking portion of the locking clamp. thereby making an interlocking position, is elongated between the slots, to adapt itto begln'its locking functions at a slight-or rearii'ard angle of the locking clamp.

Fig. 5 shows a pouch locking clamp, with portions 27, and 28, madeheavier in order to counter balance portion 29, and maintain the clamp in its operating osition, and is pivotally attached to the V s casting32, the 29,,portion of said clamp interlocki ng with the wedge shaped locking disk, when in operating position, and is adapted to automatically rotate rearwardly into a mail-pouch locking position.

In the drawings 21 is the catcher handle and is rigidlyattached to the wedge shaped and on the pivotal point of .t loop made L shaped mailapcd intersection of the catcher soar es Y locking disk by means of the stud 22, 26 is a catcher arm" and is-rigidly attached to the rocking bar of said catcher 25, by means of casting 3'2, 30 is a safety chain connection between the catcher and the catcher hanger, tlus sa'lety chain connection is pivotally attee-lied to the casting supporting the catcher and placing loop oi the chair" "781 a stud 33 rigidly attachedto the hanger, 31 31, are slots nthe rotary wedge shaped locking disk and are used in the interlocking and autoinati'c clainprlooking features of the. catcher.

The locking clamp is adapted to rotate rearwardly in operation, the lower porti0n-28f is made long enough to rotate behind thegoose neck'of the catcherand short eno'u h to impact against the rubber collar of t e.

catcher placed on the rocking barof said catcher between the catcher and the hanger on the side of the car and used asla Gl1 h1 0n' for the catcher in its operation;

The carry and operating positions ofthe catcher, wedge sha ed'locking disk, and the loop made L shape locki'ngclamp are shown 7 in Fig. 6. When the catcher is rocked into an operating position, the locking clamp is held in operating position-by means of the friction of the interlock of the portion 29 in,-

the slots 31, 31, ofthe' wedge shaped locking,

disk, the inter lock'of the said clamp with the said disk bei'ng's'how n in Fig. 6; .the inter locking clamp and the rotary wedge sha ed locking disk at their pivotal points, ma es the handle ofsaid catcher rigid in such a,

locking in this manner of the said loop made manner that the operator can bring the .7

catcher into an operating position; the catcher being in position to receive the mail pouch reniovably attached to the mail-crane arms -the impact of said pouch agains'tthe portion 28 of the loop made L shaped locking clamp, forces the clamp from its interlocking position its pivotal points into the position shown of the clamp in the dotted lines of Fig. 7; the

by rotating the clamp rearwardly on releasing of the interlock in operation of the locking clamp with the wedge shaped locking disk, allows the catcher to gravitate to itsp carry position andautomatically locks the mail-pouch simultaneously as shown, by

means of the catcher rocking1 .on its hangers e rotary wedge j 128" form and wedge shapedwith gravitate downwards, the elohgated portion: begins to. lock, the clamp as that feature of the-locking disk allows it to begin'its locking functions at a slightly descending angle of. the lockingportion of the locking clamp, and the continued and increasing wedge shaped features of: the disk allows a more perfect:

lock of the locking clamp to be made as the catcher continues to automatically. gravi-- tate. l

"From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accom anyin'g draw ings, the con'structionmode operation and advantages of my in ention will be readily understood, and'various changes in form proportion and minor details of my inventionimay be resorted to without departing from-the spirit of my inv'entionor sacrificing any of theprinciplesor advantages thereof.

' What I; claim as new is- I 1. In amail recei 'ng mechanism for rail way. cars, a mail-crane post with arms pivotallyattached thereto, and email-pouch re- IIIOViLblY attached to the said arms, means adapted to, support the upper arm of said crane arms, in an oblique manner at approximately' an angle of forty five degrees u rightly, and means adapted to support t e lower armlofthe said crane-arms, 1n anlob- ,li'qu'e manner, and in a nearly. perpendicular manner uprightly, with the said mail-pouch "removably attachedto the said crane arms, and supported by the said crane-arms' in a correspondingly oblique manner uprightly, substantially as. described. Q 2. In amail receiving mechanism for railway cars, a mail-crane post with arms'pivotally attached thereto and a mailepouch removably attached 'to said arms, said arms being supported in an obliquely upright manner as described, a spring attached to .the lower arm for the purposes named and substantially as described;

, 3.- In a,mail receivingmechanism for railway cars, a mail-cranepostwitharms pivot-' a-lly attached theretofwith a mail pouch refdescrib'ed, actingon' said crane-arms when .movably attached to said arms, said arms being supported in an obliquely. upright manner for the purposes named, a spring attached to the lower-0f said crane-arms, as

supported in an'obl-iquely upright manner,

- said support adapted to be automatically removed, substantially asdescribedr L 4. In a mail receiving mechanism for railway cars a mail-crane post'with arms pivot ally attached thereto, and a'mail-pouch re movably 'attachddto said "arms, said armsbeing' supported in, an obliquely upright 'manner for the pu osesnamed, a rod pivotally attached to t -'e upper crane-arm as a means of support,-' a hook pivotally attached-- to the lowcr rcrane' arm as a means ofsu port, the saidtod and said bookbeing t e means of holding saidcrane-'arn s in'an ob'- liquely upright manner, for the purposes named, and as substantially described.

5. In a, mail receiving mechanism for railway cars, a mail-crane post with arms pivotally attached thereto, and adapted to be supported in an obliquely u right manner with a mail-pouch removabiy attached to saidcrane-arms, a rod-pivotally attached to the upper crane-arm, a hook pivotally attached to the lower crane-arm, said pivotal hook being hooked around the said pivotal rod ofthe said upper crane-arm, the said,

rod and said hook being automaticallysupported on a .vibratingvplatform, which 'vibrates or swings in either direction in which 7 a train is passing, said platforin'being rigidly attached to a rodpivotally attached to the mail-crane post, supporting the vibrating platform on its upper end and an interlocking' arin on its lower end, said arm being adapted to interlock with a corresponding arm rigidly attached to the vibrating and automatic rod extending from the' mail crane-post to the point of its automatic opon the lower truck bar of the tender of the passing engine, substantially as described and'set forth.

' 7, In a mail receiving mechanism for railway-cars, a mail crane post with arms pivotallyattached thereto, and adapted to be supported in an obliquely upright manner mail-pouch removably atta'che'd thereto,

eration by means of an operating trip placed a rod pivotally attached to the upper crane,

arm, 'a-hook pivotally attached to the lowercrane-arm, a vibrating platform with lip 35 extending upwards for the purpose of keeping rod 5 with hook 10 from slipping off from said platform 'When placed in safety 7 and operating positions, said platform rigidly attached to a vibrating rod pivotally attached to the said mail-crane post, at the "upper end of said vibrating rod, with an'arm rigidly attached to said rod at its lower end,

'andadapted'to interlock with a corresponding interlocking arm rigidly attached to the rod pivotally attached to the said mail-crane post at one end and to the ties of the rail road track at the otherend, an automatic vibrat-- ing rod with interlocking arms rigidly at-' tached t'o said i'od, said rod vibrating from 'right to left or in either direction in which a train is passing, said arms adapted to interlock with the vibrating rod su porting the vibrating platform and means p aced on the tender of a passing eng ne to cause the simultaneous vibratiiig or swinging of said rods v and the release of the rod and hook supporting and holding said crane-arms with a mailpouch removably attached in their safety clearance osition, that said crane-arms wit maiLpouc 1 attached being deprived of their support fall by gravity,'being accelerated by means of spring rigidly attached to. the said lower crane-arm into position to be taken on to the passin train, as set forth and substantially'descri ed.

8. In a mail receiving mechanism for railway cars, a loop shaped clamp rigidly at- I crane arms of-the mail-crane post to fall into- 7 set forth and substantially ascribed.

tached to the lower truck bar of engine tender and adapted to intercept arm 15 of the 9. Ina mail receiving mechanism-for rail way cars, a mail-crane post with arms piv; otally attached thereto and ada ted to be supported in an obliquelyuprig it manner for. the purposes named, with a-mail-pouch ,removably attached to said arms, a spring rigidly attached to the lower crane arm,-'and for the setting? of said spring for the pur oses named and substantially as; de scri ed. 10. In a mail receiving mechanism for railway-cars, av car with a mail-pouch catcher shapedloc I train;

ing device. being rigidly wedgevshe edylockmg disk, saidrotary Wedge ing disk adapted to rotate around ceiving device hung in the usual position to be rocked into a position to receive the mail-pouchremovably attached to the mail-crane arms when said arms are in operating" position, a rotary wedge-shaped locking dish with the handle of said catcher rigidly attached thereto, said rotary wedge-shaped locking disk adapted to rotate around the rocking bar of said catcher in either direction and to hold the said catcher in operating and pouch locking position, as set forth and substantially described.

11. In a mail receiving mechanism for rail-' way cars, a car with a mail-pouch catching device hung in the usual position, to be rocked by an operator into a receiving position toreceive a mail-pouch hung in the usual manner to be received on a passing the handle of said maihpouch receivattached to a rotary of the said mail-pouch re-- and hold saidvdevice in an o crating position, a locking L shaped clamp the rocking bar plvotallyattachcd to the said mail-pouch re- 3 ceiving device at the; V

intersection of the casting supporting the said rocking bar-of said device and the operating armof the said mail-pouch receivin device, and adapted-to rotate rearwardly, or-thpurposes named, and as set forth and substantially described.

12. In a mail-receivingmechanism for railm way-cars, a mail-pouch receivingdevice held in operating position and adapted tovreceive a mail-pouch hung on a mail-crane in'the usual manner to be received on a passing .train, bymeans of said device, means for ,holding said device in its operating position in such; a manner that said device will gravitatein operation from its operating to its carry position locking the said mailouch in the said mail-pouch receiving device 0 simultaneously, substantially as described 13.' In a mail receiving mechanism for railwe cars, garotary wedge-shaped locking dis with the operating handle of the recei'ving device rigidly attached thereto, said 5 disk being slotted and elongated between the slots for the urposes named, said wedge "sha 'ed rotary ockingdisk with handle of the mar -pouch receiving device rigidly attached thereto remaining stationary in the opcra-' v, tors hands in automatically bringing the said receiving device'- from itsloperatin to its icarry or mail-pouch locking os' tion,-as set forth and substantially descri ed'.-f

: 14. In a'mail receiving mechanism fonrailf way cars, a loop made L shaped locking clamp, pivotally attached to the V; shaped intersection of the casting supporting the catcher arm to the rocking bar'of the mail receiving dev icc,. means for adapting said casting at. the said Vshaped intersection, to receive the pivotal point. of. thesaid loop made L sha ed locking clam-p, substantially as describe v,

15. In a mail receiving mechanism for rail- 05 way cars, a mail receiving 'device'hung in thedoor of a railway-car in the usualmanner, by means of hangers. rigidly attached-to the jambs of said-mail car-and adapted torock into operating position in the nsualfma'nner; 1 0 and to gravitate into a carry" a nd pouch locking position automatically in'o 'eration',

a casting rigidly connecting the ca'tc 'ng arm.

of said device to the rocking bar of: said deyice, a rubber Collin iittedaround thejsaidrocking barbc tween the said casting and the han ers supporting the said receivinggdevico to t e railway-car, said collar being used to c'ushionsaid receiving device initsiope'r'ation, aloop made L shaped locking; clamp, pivotally attached toflthesaid casting and adapted to rotate frearivardly .'i nto f; mail pouch locking )osition and against thesaid rubbercollar, the said ruhber collarcushion ing the im iictoi the saidlo'clriiigjicla np when force into. the said locking position, substantially 'as'described;

' 1,116. Etta mail receiving mechanism for rail Wav-cars, a mail receiving device pivotally attached'to the jambs of railway-cardoor I tion, pivotally attached: to the castir; of the l/Vitnesses:

in the usual manner and place by means of ceiving device for the purposes nained and 10- hangers rigidly attached to the said jambs of as substantially as described.

the cardoor, said mail receiving device In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my adapted to rock into and out of operating signature in the presence of two Witnesses. 4 position, and slide forward and backwards in FRANKLIN H BURR the said hangers, a flexible safety connecsaid mail receiving device, and removably L.W.N1L11s, attached to the hangers for the said mail re- RAYMOND SMETH. 

